Hall Draws Virginia Tech in CVC Finale
11/23/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2013
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BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Saturday yields an opportunity for the Seton Hall men's basketball team to end the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on a high note, as the Pirates return to the floor to take on Virginia Tech in the consolation game.
The Hall (3-2) sustained a hard fought loss to Oklahoma last night despite a career-high 26 points from Sterling Gibbs (Scotch Plains, N.J.) who has proven to be an emergent force in his first five games in blue & white. Against the Sooners, the Pirates' depth and versatility was on full display, as five players scored in double-figures to help The Hall erase a first half deficit that ballooned to as high as nine points and control the action for much of the second half. In total, Seton Hall led for over 17 of the final 20 minutes but was done in by miscues down the stretch.
Brian Oliver (Glassboro, N.J.) came off the bench to nail five treys and finish with 19 points while 6-foot-9 Brandon Mobley (Savannah, Ga.) added two triples and a slam in a reserve role as well, totaling 10 points and eight rebounds for the night. Center Gene Teague (Vineland, N.J.) had his most impactful performance of the young season, turning in 10 points to go with nine boards.
Forward Patrik Auda (Brno, Czech Republic) who was coming off a breakout 27-point effort in a win over Monmouth was limited to 10 minutes of action due to injury.
While Oklahoma employed a four-guard lineup that entered the night having earned praise for its ability to push the pace, Seton Hall ran past the Sooners, outscoring OU 19-to-4 on the fast break. SHU also held in advantages in key areas such as points off turnovers and second chance points but Oklahoma made six more shots on one less attempt for the game.
As the team works to integrate a new floor general in Gibbs and identify roles early in the season, a second-straight game against a major conference opponent pushes SHU into a group of only three BIG EAST teams who have gone up against two high-major opponents to this point in the year (Georgetown, Providence). Four of the Pirates' five contests have come against teams that advanced to the postseason in 2012-13 and a win against the Hokies would help the team get back on track heading into the second half of the non-conference portion of their schedule, a stretch in which six-of-seven games will be played at home.
In Virginia Tech (3-2), Seton Hall draws a team undergoing its own transition at the point guard position as second-year head coach looks to replace four-year starter and 2012-13 national scoring leader Erick Green who poured in 25.0 ppg in his final year in Blacksburg.
Red-shirt sophomore guard Adam Smith recorded a team-high 27 points in Friday night's 96-77 loss to #1 Michigan State but the Hokies again struggled with turnovers, giving the ball away 17 times which led to 19 MSU points.
For the season, VT has 72 turnovers (14.4/game) against just 60 assists.
Smith and senior forward Jarell Eddie are focal points of the VT attack as both average more than 12 shots per game, three higher than reserve guard Ben Emelogu who ranks third on the team. After Emelogu, no Hokie averages more than 4.6 attempts per contest.
Eddie scored 23 points last night and after shooting 6-for-9 from downtown, is now an impressive 16-for-29 (55.2 percent) from behind the arc this season. 3-point shooting efficiency has been a key in general for the Hokies as Virginia Tech has shot 45.7 percent (43-for-94) as a team from long range while limiting opponents to only 31.6 percent (43-for-134).
Better than 77 percent of their attempts and 81 percent of their 3-point makes have come from the trio of Eddie, Emelogu and Smith however so if the Pirates can chase them off their spot, VT will be forced to look to other players to be a larger factor on the offensive end.
Seton Hall holds a 4-2 advantage all-time over the Hokies but the teams have split the last four matchups. Saturday's game will be the fourth-straight neutral court showdown between the two schools, but just the second on U.S. soil in that span, both of which have come in the Big Apple.
When SHU and Virginia Tech last faced off in 2010, their clash in Cancun extended into overtime as The Hall had five players score in double-figures but Dorenzo Hudson poured in a career-high 41 points (20-21 FT) to guide VT to a 103-94 win. SHU shot 20 total free-throws as a team. Prior to that, Seton Hall scored a 77-73 victory in San Juan as part of the 2008 Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
The game will tip-off at 7:00 p.m. from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. A live broadcast can be seen nationally on truTV and the Seton Hall radio team of Gary Cohen and Dave Popkin can be heard on 970 AM and SHUPirates.com
